Retribution from the master Mercenary
by Hostiledude
Summary: Tao seems to have survived the fight with Goku. Now, filled with rage over his loss and supplemented by a mysterious new power, can Goku and his friends stop him?
1. Babidi's New Servant

DISCLAIMER: Almost none of the characters portrayed in the following fic belong to me (if any), but I'm making no money off this, so you can't sue me (I hope)!  
WARNING: This fic contains violence and mild language.  
NOTE: Tao rules!  
NOTE2: E-mail me at hostiledude666@neovampire.com !!!  
  
Mercenary Tao walked lightly through the silent forest that stretched out in all directions. He needed to reflect on the events of earlier that week and come up with a plot for revenge. To think that he, Tao, could be beaten by a mere child! The thought made his blood boil, and he struck out, in a random direction, chopping a tree in half.  
  
"That stupid kid will have to pay for this!" he shouted into the empty land all around him. But how could he possibly make him pay? The martial artist continued to walk along. Not only did this Goku beat him soundly, but he barely managed to survive the encounter. The doctor that he had gone to had suggested that he have his arms replaced with synthetic limbs, but Tao refused, believing in the fact that the human body is the ultimate weapon. And, with his superhuman strength, he managed to make a full recovery with astounding speed.  
  
Yet that victory was empty... Goku was now the only thought on his mind. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice when a small, sinister-looking figure suddenly appeared in front of him.  
  
"So you are the famous Tao?" the person asked in an annoying, raspy voice. Tao was startled by this sudden noise, and sank back into a fighting stance.  
  
"What business do you have with me?" Tao asked, poised to strike.  
  
"I am the famous wizard, Babidi, and I have need of your services." At this point, he stepped into the light and Tao finally got a look at him. He was short, perhaps only two feet tall or so, his skin was green and wrinkled, his clothes loose-fitting with a mysterious "M" crest on the front. The wizard was magically levitating so that he was at eye-level with Tao.  
  
"Okay, what do you want done. We'll discuss prices later," the mercenary said, keeping a very stern look on his face.  
  
"I want these artifacts," Babidi said. Instead of explaining what he meant, the wizard instead waved his hand through the air, conjuring up a holographic image of the seven dragonballs. Noticing Tao's expression change slightly when he mentioned the balls, Babidi continued carefully, not to make the mercenary mad. "They are currently in the possession of this boy. No problem for you, eh?" The image changed to show Goku running through a field after a short, bald kid. Tao clenched his fist so tightly that a trickle of blood ran down his hand and dripped onto the ground.  
  
"I don't know if I will be able to accept a mission of this nature," Tao lied.  
  
"Who said I needed your permission?" No sooner had Babidi said that than he suddenly forced his powerful will upon the mercenary, sure that the corrupted spirit would be easy to control. Tao, in reality, saw what was happening from his years of martial arts and embraced the new power that flowed into him. Babidi thought the assassin was under his control, but he was really just using him for the power.  
  
Believing that he now controlled Tao, Babidi said, "Shall we go and take out the boy now?" Tao merely nodded. Then he ripped a tree out of the ground, utilizing his horrific power, and hurled it way up through the air, in the direction that he knew Goku to be at. Babidi just barely managed to grab onto Tao's gi and fly away with him.  
  
*You better be looking out, boy!* Tao thought, *Cause it's time for our rematch!*  
  
End of chapter 1 


	2. The Assassin's Painful Return

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters in the following fic belong to me (with very little exceptions) So don't attempt to sue me or I'll have to torture your pathetic soul for all eternity.  
WARNING: This fic has the potential to contain some content that may not be appropriate to everyone. If you do not fit within the range it was rated, you may want to turn back now.  
NOTE: Tao rules!  
NOTE2: If you may wish to contact me for some reason or another, send me an e-mail at hostiledude666@neovampire.com.  
Thank you for reading through all that crap... You should feel smarter for it.  
  
  
Son Goku was running through a field, with Krillin following close behind. It was a training exercise from Kame Sen'Nin to raise Krillin's speed; he was supposed to try and catch Goku with one of those damn turtle shells on his back.  
  
"Wow! You really got strong if you can still keep up with me!" The young Saiyajin exclaimed.  
  
"Well, obviously! I've been going through the turtle hermit training the whole time, even while you were off fighting the Red Ribbon Army and stuff!" Krillin answered arrogantly. But then, not paying attention, the young martial artist tripped over a large rock and fell flat on his face. Goku skidded to a stop and walked over to his fallen comrade.  
  
"Krillin, are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice even though he knew someone of Krillin's strength couldn't even be scratched by such a fall.  
  
"Ha! Gotcha!" Krillin yelled and made a grab for Goku's neck. But he was too slow, and the boy easily sidestepped.  
  
"You're acting a little too much like the master... At this rate it'll take you three years to catch me!" Goku said, but Krillin missed the inside joke, having never met Korin.  
  
It was at that time that the monkey-tailed martial artist saw an ominous figure flying toward him on the horizon. Goku gritted his teeth.  
  
*How can this be?! Could Tao have really returned? And what new powers could augment his already formidable strength?* The young fighter's mind was full of questions, as the assassin approached. Krillin noticed how unnerved Goku was at this point and also looked up, seeing a man dressed in a pink gi flying toward them on what appeared to be a flying tree.  
  
"Do you know this guy?" The bald kid asked his friend. But Goku had no time to answer before the tree angled downward, and the two kids were forced to jump out of the way so they were not hit by it. The pink-garbed mercenary landed on top of the tree calmly.  
  
"Hey, are you crazy? We could have been hit!" Krillin shouted, angered at Tao's actions.  
  
"You young fools!" exclaimed a mysterious, and very annoying, voice. Before anyone could question as to where the voice came from, Babidi floated out from behind Tao, laughing like a madman.  
  
Goku's anger disappeared as he spoke. "Who are you?" he asked in a curious voice.  
  
Yeah, you're sure a funny-looking little man!" Krillin noted.  
  
Babidi grit his teeth in anger. *How dare this stupid kid insult me! I'll have my servant take him out right now so I can focus on Goku!* Then he shouted, "Kill that kid, Tao!"  
  
But to his dismay, the assassin slowly shook his head. "No, I must decline... I thank you for the new powers you have granted me, but I shall now complete this revenge on my own. So I suppose you'll just have to die." Having said that, the mercenary dealt a swift kick to the side of the evil wizard's head, sending him flying over the horizon in pain.  
  
"Who was... that?!" Goku asked, "And what's up with the 'M' on your head?"  
  
The assassin simply replied, "I may not get my usual 10 billion for killing you, but it shall still be well worth it to restore my pride!"  
  
Krillin got into a fighting stance, said, "I've had it! Enough talk! I'll take you on!"  
  
Ignoring Goku's pleas to not fight him, Krillin charged suddenly at Tao, throwing off his weighted turtle shell and using the full speed that his latest training had given him. He got right next to Tao with his first punch, when suddenly the man disappeared without a trace. Krillin had to follow through with his punch and was thrown off balance as he swiped at the air in front of him. And before he could gain his footing again, Tao connected with a knee to his stomach and a follow up roundhouse kick to the side of the face.  
  
Krillin cried out in pain as he flew backward, snapping a tree trunk with his horrific momentum.  
  
Even Goku, who already knew that the mercenary had inhuman strength, was surprised when he found that he could barely even see the attack coming. "Okay, I'm going to have to beat you again, I guess. You're such a good fighter; I don't know why you waste you skill on hurting people." The boy stated.  
  
"No... Krillin groaned as he jumped up stiffly. "I'm not beaten yet. I can still fight!"  
  
---END OF CHAPTER 2---  
  
A/N: Sorry to any of you who are Babidi fans (as if there really are any) because he gets the hell beaten out of him a lot in this fic... Anyway, let me know how you feel and write me a review. 


	3. Goku's Anger Is To No Avail

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters in the following fic belong to me. They are being used without the owner's permission, but I'm making no money off this, so leave me alone.  
WARNING: This fic could contain mild language, violence, etc. Nothing to worry about for someone mature enough to enter my fic instead of an inferior one. (no offense to most authors, of course; just the ones that suck)  
NOTE: Tao rules!  
NOTE2: If you feel a strange urge to contact me with a suggestion, compliment, complaint, flame, bomb threat, etc., I can be reached at hostiledude666@neovampire.com  
  
  
Krillin got shakily to his feet, holding the side of his face.  
  
"You're getting up? I guess that you're not much smarter than your spiky-haired friend, hm?" Tao mocked him. Krillin made no reply, but instead launched into an insane offensive, striking out at the mercenary with hundreds of blows aimed at various parts of his body. The older man had no trouble blocking all of them using only his legs. Then one punch thrown at the young fighter's head sent him to the ground hard once again.  
  
"Do you actually expect to defeat a martial artist of my strength and skill with feeble attacks like that?" the assassin questioned, swinging his head around so his hair fell over his shoulder.  
  
"That's it!" Goku exclaimed, and walked toward Tao.  
  
But before he could get anywhere, Krillin once again managed to get to his feet. "Stop it, Goku. This is my fight," the bald kid said, pushing aside his comrade. "I can handle this myself."  
  
Tao smiled as he saw Krillin pull back his hands in a familiar matter, gathering energy. The mercenary recalled Goku attacking with the same technique the first time they had met. For someone with such low energy, even the legendary Kamehameha Wave would be no match for him. Suddenly, Tao grimaced. Remembering his fight with Goku had forced him to think of the battle that had ensued the next time they had fought.  
  
The physical pain from the fight was nothing compared to all the wounds that his pride had taken. Surely his brother had heard that he, Tao, was defeated by a mere child. This was the worst pain of all. The only thing he had ever tried to do in his job (besides making money and satisfying his blood lust) was show up his brother. Ever since the day he had been kicked out... The nature of the fight that provoked it was such as it was all but forgotten by this time. But the rage and the hatred remained.  
  
Tao came back to reality as a giant beam of concentrated ki came rushing toward him. But now Tao had had enough of this pointless battle. He would destroy this child so he could fight Goku. It was the only way to restore honor to his family.  
  
"Kamehameha!" Krillin shouted as he unleashed Kame Sen'Nin's famous attack on the mercenary. The martial artist grinned as he saw the powerful attack hit Tao dead on. A giant explosion rocked the very ground on which he stood.  
  
Ecstatic over his victory, Krillin turned to his Saiyajin friend, intent on gloating over his victory. But when he saw the grim look on Goku's face, he knew that something had gone wrong. Quickly, Krillin looked over toward the direction that Tao was in, and saw an ominous figure in the clearing smoke.  
  
As you've probably guessed already, the villain wasn't even scratched; in fact, his clothes weren't even messed up.  
  
"I thought so. I have no use for weak fighters like you." the man said calmly. Then, charging a sufficient amount of ki into his index and middle finger, he smiled grimly.  
  
"Dodon Ray!" he shouted, as he unleashed the charged energy into Krillin's chest.  
  
Goku, who knew that Krillin had no chance of winning the entire time, was watching the match painfully, until he saw the Dodon Ray pierce Krillin's chest and fly out the other side, taking the boy's life with it. But now the young Saiyajin felt his eyes tear up, and he flew forward at immense speeds, shouting insanely, as he intended to take out Tao.  
  
This energy was a surprise to even the super-powered killer, and he was struck a great many times by Goku's kicks and punches. But eventually Tao was able to start blocking all of his attacks, using his simply superior skill. Winding back twice as far as normal, the monkey-tailed boy threw a punch that would go straight through any normal human's skull. But Tao was far from being a normal human.  
  
The mercenary caught the attack and squeezed down on Goku's hand with a vice grip. Goku grimaced in pain and gritted his teeth together.  
  
"No! You can't get away with this, Tao!" he uttered angrily. Then, with incredible effort, he focused all of his ki into the arm that Tao was crushing. His powered-up arm easily broke free of the mercenary's grip, and twisted his arm around backwards in a submission of his own.  
  
Tao grunted in pain for a second, then performed a backflip to relieve the pressure on his tormented arm, and kicked Goku in the stomach with lightning speed. This attack caused the Saiyajin to lose his concentration, and he became essentially a punching bag for Tao's attacks. An elbow to the neck finally sent Goku crashing to the ground. His vision was temporarily blurred, and he felt rather like throwing up.  
  
Tao's laughter rang out over the entire area. In this two of three battle rivalry with Goku, he had come out victorious. "Well, I suppose it's time to finish you off, huh?" he asked the boy, who was still struggling to make it to his feet.  
  
However, before he got the chance to strike a killing blow, he had to jump out of the way to avoid Kame Sen'Nin's flying kick.  
  
"So it is true," the old master speculated, "Goku must have truly defeated the great mercenary Tao."  
  
Angered, Tao answered, "Well, I obviously got him back! And that stupid bald kid with him!" Though he acted tough on the outside, Tao saw that the odds were no longer in his favor. Two kids, however tough they may be, were really no threat to him now. But an invincible old master? Why, this man had more experience in martial arts than he did, no matter the fact that his heart was not wicked and black, as Tao's had become.  
  
Silently, the assassin glared at Roshi. Then he pulled his tree trunk out of the ground, throwing it in the direction of the nearest big city, and jumping on it in his unique way of travel.  
  
---End of chapter 3---  
A/N: Damn, kinda left ya' hangin' there, didn't I? Don't worry, I'm working on more chapters even as you read this. Oh, yeah... If you haven't read the manga, then you might not know this, but Kame Sen'Nin is none other than the great Master Roshi.  
You see, kame means turtle...  
Not to be confused with Kami (the guardian of the earth), whose name means godly, or divine... Like in Kamikaze (divine wind), you know? I apologize in advance for my Japanese, so please tell me if any of it's wrong... Gomen! It's all merely speculation... : ) More info next chapter... 


	4. Mindless Destruction

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters in the following fic belong to me, but I'm not making any money off this. And if I am, may Kami have mercy on my soul!  
  
WARNING: This fic could contain some language or violence. If you can't handle this, then get lost. [weaklings all leave] Still there? Sweet!  
  
NOTE: Tao still rules and he always will, okay? So I can quit typing this every chapter?  
  
NOTE2: If you have a strange desire to contact me, I can be reached at hostiledude666@neovampire.com  
  
Kame Sen'Nin was still brooding around over the extensive losses brought on by Tao's attack. Mostly, it was the untimely death of his most faithful disciple, Krillin. Goku healed after a day, seeming even tougher than he had been before he got beat up. Of course, he always got stronger after losses, with his pure Saiyajin blood, and all. But, unlike his master, Goku found himself unable to just mourn for his friend.  
  
Two days after the fight with Tao, Goku approached the hermit with an idea. Now, as we all know, it's not an easy thing for someone with Goku's intelligence to come up with a plan. So Roshi wasn't expecting anything brilliant.  
  
"I know how to help Krillin! We just have to collect all of the dragon balls!" the boy suggested.  
  
But the master shook his head. "We need to wait, my boy. The dragonballs can't be used again for another month..."  
  
Goku's expression turned from hopeful to angry, and he stepped out to go do some more training. This left Kame Sen'Nin some time to think matters over. Tao had stepped off because he was unsure of the master's power. And perhaps slightly because seeing an invincible old master reminded him of his older brother. But the hermit had sensed that Tao's power was even greater than his own, augmented by some dark force. The old man couldn't determine exactly what it was, but he figured it must have something to do with the "M" in the middle of Tao's forehead.  
  
He had once heard a legend of an evil wizard who took over men's souls and made them his slaves. The process was said to leave a similar crest on the victim's head. Perhaps it was a tale he had heard from his sister, Baba? Bibidi, the great sorcerer... Could this be the threat that now faced him?  
  
***  
  
Tao was headed out to seek challenge once again. During the battle with Goku and Krillin, he noticed that the power granted to him also gave him some new abilities. He now could fly, no longer having to use objects to aid him (although he still did use them; it was his trademark). But more notable was the ability to sense strong enough life forms by feeling their ki. And this was the skill that he had used to seek out the strongest fighters in each city he had visited.  
  
He had hunted them all down and defeated them all easily. Of course, none of them were strong enough that they could have even scratched him before his transformation. Actually, each one that he hunted down, he had hoped that it would be his older brother. Perhaps then, the mercenary would be able to defeat his sibling and put the demons of his past to rest.  
  
***  
  
As Goku was training, he suddenly saw some strange figures outside. One of them looked to be very old, and the other two were pretty strange...  
  
"Hi, my name's Goku," he greeted them.  
  
"Good day, boy," the old man said in an irritated voice, "Would you happen to know where I can find the warrior, Son Goku?"  
  
"Yeah, that's me." Goku replied.  
  
*Well, I'll be damned. My brother was defeated by a mere child.* the old man thought. Recovering from his surprise quickly, he introduced himself, "Greetings, Son Goku. I am Tsuru Sennin, Mercenary Tao's older brother. And these are my disciples, Tien Shinhan and Chaozu."  
  
Goku studied the Crane Master's disciples carefully. Tien Shinhan was a tall, strong-looking man, whose only unusual feature was the third eye that was placed in the middle of his forehead. Chaozu was much shorter, with white skin and a bald head. He was built just about the way that Krillin was.  
  
Of course, thinking about Krillin caused Goku a small twinge of pain, and he spoke quickly to forget about his deceased friend. "Why did you come all the way out here just to meet me?" the young Saiyajin asked.  
  
"No need to worry," the old master assured him, "I'm not here to avenge Tao. I'm actually here because he has become out of control, and I need help to stop him."  
  
"I know. I was attacked by him the other day, and he killed my best friend so he could get to me," Goku replied sadly.  
  
Tien stepped in from of his master and said, "Your problems don't matter. My master just wants to make sure that Tao doesn't try to hunt him down!"  
  
The old master slapped the man in the back of the head. "Silence, Tien Shinhan. It's not your business to speak now."  
  
Talking to Goku again, he said, "If you're this young, then you must be training under a master. I must speak to him immediately."  
  
"Okay," Goku said, turning around, "I'll get the old man."  
  
---End of Chapter 4---  
  
A/N: Rather uneventful chapter, eh? Sorry. But a big battle is obviously looming on the horizon!  
  
Also, I know that some of these things don't make sense if you look at it after you watched the series (like Krillin using the Kamehameha Wave before the 22nd Buddokai), but you should look at it like one of the DBZ movies; i.e. it doesn't have to work with the show. Some things will be introduced differently, but I hope this fic will still be quite enjoyable.  
  
Until next time, I bid you a good day. May you find good fortune wherever you travel. 


	5. Yamcha's Folly

DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters in the following fanfic (if not all) do not belong to me in any way of thinking. But I am making no money off this, so I demand that I not be sued!  
  
WARNING: This fic has the potential to contain some content that may not be appropriate for the younger of audiences. Nothing as heavy as some of my ff7 fics, but I still feel I need to place the warning for liability purposes...  
  
NOTE: Here's some advertising for my friend's fic that I told him I'd do. It's called "FF8: Back to the Garden", and it's written by an author named "Cecil" You should read it.  
  
NOTE2: If, for some strange reason, you feel that it would be to your advantage to contact me in some way, I can, as always, be reached at hostiledude666@neovampire.com  
  
Mercenary Tao laughed as he walked slowly through the streets of a small town. His power was unparalleled, and the townspeople who normally cringed in fear from his presence now seemed about to have a heart attack. There was no reason for the mercenary to even look for tailors anymore. The doctor who he had gone to for help was none other than the infamous Dr. Gero. When he was healed, the mad scientist developed and sold to him a gi just like his. But the garment was crafted of space-age titanium mesh.  
  
That was how he had protected his clothes from Krillin's Kamehameha Wave. Tao was the hunter now. But, alas, even the hunter eventually grows bored when his prey is no longer challenging. "Hm, I wonder if anyone in the world is capable of defeating me? How can I find out?" the assassin silently mused. But of course there was no way. Unless...  
  
Tao reached out with his sensing ability, searching for the strongest power levels in existence. He could sense Goku quite easily, and the boy felt stronger than ever. Also, he could faintly feel Kame Sen'Nin, though the old master was hiding his strength. But the mercenary stiffened as he felt three other powers in that direction, all of them very strong. He somehow knew that the most powerful one must be his brother.  
  
"Dammit!" Tao shouted and stomped, opening up a crack in the ground. "All of my enemies must be conversing on how to get rid of me."  
  
***  
  
A little ways out of the town that Tao was in, Yamcha landed his car. He really had no idea what was going on, and definitely didn't know that Goku had been beaten. All he knew was that someone there was terrorizing the town and needed to be stopped. Stepping out of the car door, he gazed into the town, spotting several places where houses were burnt down. If somebody didn't stop the man, the entire area would be declared a disaster zone.  
  
Yamcha began running and was soon to where he could see a single man standing in the town square, seemingly lost somewhere in his own head.  
  
"Hey!" Yamcha shouted, "You need to leave these people alone! They never did anything to you!"  
  
The pink-garbed man began to slowly turn around. When he was fully turned around and could see Yamcha, he smiled an evil smirk. "You damned fool, don't you realize who I am? I am the mercenary Tao!"  
  
*Isn't Tao the guy Goku said he beat to stop the Red Ribbon Army?* thought Yamcha * What could he be doing back alive? Oh well, I'm stronger than I was back then. This should be no problem.*  
  
When he realized that the fight would not be resolved by words, Yamcha sprang forward, aiming a punch at Tao's head. Right before he reached the mercenary, his target suddenly disappeared, appearing again behind him and sweeping his legs. The warrior stuck out his hands to block himself from hitting the ground and rolled away.  
  
Yamcha faced Tao once again, this time more seriously. This enemy was not like anyone he had ever faced before. In fact, the last time he had been dominated like that was when he was facing Jackie Chun at his first attempt in the Buddokai Tournament.  
  
Tao, not wanting to waste any time, was the one who charged this time. He weaved under one of Yamcha's punches and snapped a quick kick into the fighter's side, following up with a hard punch to the head. Yamcha went down immediately, skidding along the ground for a few feet. And when he got to his feet, he could hardly even see straight.  
  
"You see what happens when you challenge someone without first knowing their power?" Tao mocked the young man, "Now you're going to have to pay for your foolishness!"  
  
The warrior laughed back at him. "I haven't even used my special attack yet. When I do, you're doomed! Cringe in fear of the mighty Wolf Fang Fist!" he shouted, and dashed forward.  
  
When he was close enough, his fists began flying with the speed of his special attack, and he became many times as fast and powerful as he was normally. However, Tao was not even forced to take a step back. He blocked every one of the strikes with an ease that was scary. Seeing an opening in Yamcha's attack, he gathered up strength and prepared to strike at his throat...  
  
***  
  
Back at the Kame House, Roshi was discussing what was going on with Tsuru Sen'Nin.  
  
"I know we've never gotten along too well before," The Crane Master said, "but this is a problem that goes way beyond us. My brother has somehow gained a power that there seems to be no way to match. I would not even face him alone at this point. I think we need to team up our disciples, maybe seek out a few Heroes to help us. Otherwise, the entire planet could be screwed."  
  
Kame Sen'Nin nodded. "I don't know how he got his power, but I could probably figure it out. Then, if we're lucky, there could be some way to reverse it."  
  
------  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
A/N: Hey, I hope all you faithful readers enjoyed this chapter, even if it wasn't quite that great. I've just got some major writer's block, so I'll see what I can do. 


End file.
